Baptism and Temptation Discussion Questions: 1. What does Jesus’ baptism mean for us today? Does Jesus still identify with us as sinners? 2. If you have been baptized, in what ways was it a defining act for you? How can you make it a defining act in your life from now on? 3. When have you faced temptation? What was the source of that temptation? How did you respond? Did your Christian faith come into play as you faced the temptation? If so, how? 4. Why was Jesus’ experience of temptation important for His ministry? Why is His temptation important for us today? 5. What does the temptation story add to the reality of Jesus Christ for us today? 6. What forms do temptations take in our culture? In what ways are we tempted by television advertisements? By our neighbors’ success? By the statement that “everybody’s doing it”? 7. Are all temptations equal in seriousness? Is the temptation to have a second doughnut as serious as the temptation to pass on gossip that you know will harm another person? Is the temptation to cheat on your income tax as serious as the temptation to say nothing when the sales

clerk gives you too much change? 8. Is resisting temptation easier when the consequences, such as being caught, are obvious? 9. Adam Hamilton asserts that we are tempted not to do the right thing as often as we are tempted to do the wrong thing. Is this true for you? Is failing to do the right thing as serious as doing the wrong thing? Why, or why not?